The Bloody Ties that Bind
by Himizu-chan
Summary: OHC AU. Haruhi is an ordinary human girl who is captured by a clan of vampires and told that her only options are to submit to becoming the human servant of one of the vampires, or die. She wants nothing to do with being a human servant, but she can't help but be intrigued by a tall handsome vampire with mysterious dark eyes. Mostly Mori/Haruhi, other pairs listed inside. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**The Bloody Ties that Bind**

A/N: This fic randomly decided to spring fully-formed into my head while I was trying to write another fic. And because I have a one-track mind, I had to stop what I was doing and get started on this one instead. I'm kind of desperately in love with this concept, so I really hope people enjoy this.

Disclaimer: Tragically, I do not own Ouran Host Club, otherwise I would probably try to set it in my awesome alternate universe… though that might upset some people, so maybe it's for the best.

Pairings: Mori/Haruhi (obviously), Kyouya/Kaoru, Tamaki/Hikaru. There are also some mentions of past one-sided Kyouya/Tamaki.

Chapter 1

Sometime in the early 15th century, clans of vampires roamed the land and battled for territory. Humans had few defenses against these creatures of the night, and the ones who were in the most danger were those who lived in the villages in neutral territories between warring clans of vampires. And our story begins in a small village between the warring clans of Lobelia and Ouran…

After a long day of toiling in the fields alongside other villagers, a young woman with long brown hair dragged herself to her small hut well away from the rest of the village. After losing her parents to a vampire attack three years earlier, Haruhi Fujioka could not abide the pitying glances of the townspeople, nor could she stand the marriage proposals offered by men who thought the beautiful young woman needed someone to take care of her now that she was alone in the world. It had been an easy decision to move to a meager hut closer to the fields where she worked. She could be alone there with her thoughts and the few books she was able to afford. It was rare for anyone in such a decrepit village to be educated, much less a girl, but her parents had encouraged their intelligent daughter, and whenever she had a little money, she would travel to the nearby cities and buy any books she could lay her hands on.

But tonight there would be no reading by candlelight. It was spring, and time to plant, so all the villagers worked long and punishing hours, knowing that a poor harvest would mean they would starve over the winter. Haruhi needed all the sleep she could get during these few exhausting weeks. But tonight she had a special errand to run.

Tonight was the third anniversary of her parents' deaths, and Haruhi needed to visit their graves. Although darkness was beginning to gather, Haruhi thought that if she hurried, she would be able to make it back home before any vampires came prowling around. Vampire attacks were few and far between in their village, thankfully, but they never ended well. So Haruhi quickly washed up and changed into a faded and patched-up brown dress, put a brown bonnet on over her long hair, and collected the flowers she would place on her parents' graves before hurrying into the foggy twilight.

The fog whirled around her, disorienting the young woman as she hurried along the well-worn dirt path. She held a lantern aloft, squinting into the fog around her, but the light was feeble and not particularly useful.

Finally she reached the cemetery and quickly located the two small gray stones side-by-side where her parents rested. Haruhi knelt at their graves, running her fingers over the uneven letters she had painstakingly carved into the rocks herself. She said a prayer for their lost souls, then laid her flowers on the two stones.

"Oh Mother… Father… I miss you so much," she whispered. "I'm still not married… The boys in this village think I'm helpless, and I can't stand that. I wish… I wish I could leave this village… I think there's something more for me if I could leave… But I'm afraid to. I don't know if I can do it." She bowed her head, tears falling from her eyes.

Haruhi could not be sure how long she knelt there, alternately praying and talking to her beloved parents. But suddenly she noticed how oppressively silent it was… Not a single bird or insect chirped. Not a blade of grass rustled in the wind. The hairs on the back of Haruhi's neck stood up and she grabbed the lantern, holding it up and squinting into the fog again. But it was futile, she could see only a few feet in any direction.

"Saints protect me…" Haruhi whispered desperately. It was much too dark… the night held so many dangers. She started to move toward the dirt path that would leave her to her meager dwelling, but then an icy breeze whistled around her and she heard the distinct crack of a breaking twig.

With a gasp, Haruhi blew out the flame in the lantern and bolted towards the trees. If there was something stalking her, surely they would assume that she would head towards the path and the village… surely the smart thing to do was to run into the woods and hide until the danger had passed.

Scrambling into the trees, she crouched and held her breath, trying desperately to hear any sound at all that might indicate she was in danger. Hearing nothing, she started to move through the trees, hoping to take a round-about route to her home. But she had gone only a few paces when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up again. A strong wind suddenly whistled through the trees, tearing the bonnet from her head and whipping it off into the darkness. And then the fog parted to reveal three young women.

Haruhi couldn't stop herself from gasping. All three women were utterly beautiful and they didn't look like any villagers or townspeople she had ever seen. All three wore beautiful dark red gowns of the type that Haruhi had always imagined that nobility wore… the sort with plunging necklines, ribbons, gemstones, and other frivolous decorations. And the dark red color frightened Haruhi. Only one group of people would ever wear that blood-wine color… the members of the vampire clan Lobelia.

The woman in the center was tall with very short dark hair. "Look what we have found, ladies… A little rose has lost her way…"

"Oh Beni…" the girl with long golden hair gasped. "She looks… delectable…"

"Yes," hissed the third girl who had shoulder-length reddish hair. "She looks so sweet… Please allow us to have a taste, Mistress Beni."

"Enough, Chizuru... Enough, Hinako," the tall woman said, her deep voice ringing through the trees. "We are not animals, are we?"

"No, Mistress Beni," the girls chorused.

"That being said… I can smell her from here. It's… intoxicating." And before Haruhi could even blink, the tall woman was standing next to her, her nose pressed against the human's neck, nuzzling at her pulse. Her tongue slithered from her mouth to trace one of the veins leading back to Haruhi's heart. "I don't know… how much longer I can control myself," she gasped breathlessly. Her two companions moaned in response.

Haruhi jerked herself away from the vampire, for vampire she surely was. "Please!" she exclaimed. "Please let me go!"

Beni's eyes glimmered red with bloodlust and excitement. Fangs appeared, flashing harshly even though there was no light to speak of in the foggy forest. "No one is going to stop us, beautiful flower," she said with a wicked smile.

Haruhi knew the woman was right. So she did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She turned and ran as fast as she could. It was most likely futile, for vampires were far faster than any human, and they could simply track her by following her scent, but Haruhi didn't care as she ran desperately through the forest, screaming for help.

Tripping over some unseen obstacle, Haruhi slid across the slick grass and she heard a whooshing noise nearby. She started to roll over, but found herself pinned to the ground by a red-eyed Beni. Her fangs were bared as she lowered herself towards the girl, but Haruhi managed to kick her away and scramble to her feet again. But she only got a few more paces before she was tackled and pinned down again.

Haruhi screamed louder than ever, and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch the fangs descend upon her neck. But instead of the expected sharp pain, she felt a thud against the side of her body and found herself being rolled over. She could vaguely see a man attacking the woman who had been about to kill her. Haruhi realized that the male must be another vampire, for he was holding his own against the female. More male and female creatures swooped from the trees, engaging in intense battles, and one lone human girl lay breathless on the ground, seemingly ignored by all of them. The adrenaline and fear became too much for Haruhi, and she fainted dead away.

A/N: Yes, very short, I know... But it's an introduction, and things will start picking up in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: I nearly changed the date on this story, because I wasn't sure when glasses were invented and we all know that Kyouya is not himself without glasses… but it turns out glasses have appeared in portraits since the early 1400's and naturally Kyouya would be awesome and get himself a pair. So woohoo for historical accuracy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ouran Host Club.

When Haruhi Fujioka regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a cot in a stone room. That alone was enough to terrify her, since the only buildings she had ever been in during her lifetime had been made of wood. She sat up with a start and gazed around the small cell. For cell it surely was, with no windows and a thick door with bars on it.

She sat bolt upright and a thin blanket slid off of her. Someone had at least cared enough to provide her with something to keep her warm. Her already ragged dress was ripped and filthy from her dash through the woods, and her hair was tangled and matted. Pulling the blanket around her shoulders, she shuddered, choking back a sob and wondering where she was and what her fate would be.

There was a clanging sound at the door, and then the door creaked open and a young man with bright red hair stepped in. He wore tight-fitting black pants and a light periwinkle blue vest. He had sparkling golden eyes and when he smiled at her, he revealed perfectly normal human teeth rather than the vampire fangs.

"Hey, you're awake!"

Haruhi was dumbfounded and unable to answer. The redhead walked over and sat down at the foot of her bed, reclining gracefully against the wall. Haruhi's eyes darted over to the wide-open door, then back to the redhead.

"You could try to run if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it. You won't make it out of the castle."

"Castle?!" Haruhi squeaked. "But how?"

"Well, you wound up leading those Lobelia bitches right into Ouran territory. Some of the guards reminded them about territory boundaries and sent them on their way, and someone decided to bring you back here. I guess they were impressed that you were able to survive an attack like that."

"Oh my god…" Haruhi gasped, burying her head in her hands. Then her brain started to work again. "You aren't a vampire though… so who are you?"

The redhead's easy grin widened. "I'm Kaoru. Kaoru Hitachiin. And you're right, I'm human. It's… complicated. What's your name, by the way?"

"Haruhi Fujioka."

"Nice. And you're a peasant, aren't you?"

Haruhi's spine straightened and her eyebrows drew together in indignation. "Excuse me? What did you just call me?"

"Well you sure aren't nobility… Just look at your clothes," Kaoru replied. Haruhi scowled at him.

"I grew up in a very small village, yes," she said angrily.

"Well then you'll love it here," Kaoru said confidently. "We live like kings."

Haruhi's eyebrows went up. "What makes you think I'll still be alive tomorrow?" she asked. "I'm a human in a vampire castle… that's basically a death sentence, isn't it?"

"Well that just depends on the impression you make," Kaoru said with a cheeky grin. "We'll get you all cleaned up and if you're lucky, you'll catch the eye of one of the clan leaders."

"How will that help me?" Haruhi asked.

"Remember when you asked me earlier what a human was doing in a vampire castle?" Kaoru asked. She nodded. It had only occurred a few moments ago after all. "Well, I was lucky enough to catch the eye of one of the clan leaders. I give him blood, he protects me."

"You give him your blood?!" Haruhi gasped, incredulity obvious in her voice.

Kaoru tilted his head away from her and she could see a red mark low on the right side of his neck, just above his collarbone.

"And you're okay with just being dinner for him?" Haruhi asked, still unable to process all of this.

Kaoru got an offended look on his face. "Of course not! I'm not just a piece of meat for him. We're actually very close. He gives me anything I want, he confides in me, he asks my advice. We're actually very close friends." A subtle blush appeared on Kaoru's cheeks, leading Haruhi to wonder exactly how close of friends this human and vampire were. "This isn't unusual. My twin brother, Hikaru, has a similar relationship with another of the clan's leaders. And plenty of other lower-ranking vampires have human mates as well."

"And you think that I'd want to do something so degrading?" Haruhi yelped.

Kaoru lifted an eyebrow. "There isn't anything degrading about it. It's a partnership, it's a real relationship. And a cute girl like you should have no trouble finding someone who will want you. You could probably take your pick."

Haruhi frowned. "I don't want someone to take care of me."

"What does that have to do with anything? Look, that's your only real option… If you don't want to form a partnership with a vampire…" And here Kaoru hesitated, unable to meet her eyes. "…Well, you're not going to survive."

Haruhi said nothing. The idea of dying at the hands of a vampire was uncomfortable, but she couldn't imagine actually living in this castle with her life in the hands of a vampire every day.

"Look, give the idea a chance," Kaoru said at last. "Trust me, it's great. The Ouran clan is amazing, and… well, partnerships like this have their benefits…"

"Like what?" Haruhi asked, wondering if she actually wanted to know the answer.

"You get some powers in exchange for your blood," Kaoru said. "Nothing really fantastic or anything, but you do get the benefit of eternal youth and longevity, which is really great. I think I'm over 70 now, but you'd never know that by looking at me. And then there's increased stamina, speed, agility, not as much as a normal vampire, but more than a regular human."

"You're over 70?" Haruhi repeated.

Kaoru laughed. "And I'm a baby around here. But if I were ever to leave… all this would wear off and I'd probably die before too long. And my master would need to find himself a new human, or just go back to killing random humans. Some vampire choose to do that, they just kill instead of finding a mate. Others actually have a whole stable of human servants, but no one in clan Ouran does that."

Haruhi was astounded. In just a few minutes, she had learned more about vampires than she had ever heard in her life, and she was beginning to suspect that most of what she'd heard before was wrong. "So when do I have to make this choice?" she asked finally.

"Well, we're going to have to get you cleaned up and outfitted with something more suitable," Kaoru said with a sniff.

"You sound like such a snob," Haruhi muttered.

Kaoru chose to let that slide. "And then you'll be presented to the clan elder and the other leaders. You'll probably get a couple nights or so where you can meet the vampires and the other humans here, and then if you're lucky, someone will petition the clan elder for you, and if you choose to accept, you can begin your happy life here. If no one wants you, or you choose not to accept your suitor, you'll be killed."

"So I have a couple more days to figure things out," Haruhi mused.

"Yep!" Kaoru said cheerfully. "We'll have some fun over the next couple days."

Haruhi nodded meekly. But she was wondering if she could slip away during the day. After all, everyone knew that sunlight was fatal to vampires. She wondered if humans like Kaoru would be instructed to stop her if she tried to leave the premises. "How long is it until sunset?" she asked finally.

"Still a few hours yet," Kaoru said, "but don't go thinking that means you can just run all over the castle. That bit about vampires not being able to go out into the sun is true, but the part where they have to be asleep the whole time the sun is out… well, that's a myth, so there's always some vampires roaming around the windowless rooms any time, and you do NOT want to meet a hungry vampire right after they wake up."

"And just what would you know about that?" a voice inquired mildly from the open doorway.

Haruhi yelped, nearly falling off the cot. The figure was a lithe and slender man dressed in black pants and a black shirt with a pale blue trim on the collar. He had black hair, long pale hands, and sleet gray eyes not quite hidden behind delicate glasses.

Kaoru leapt to his feet at once. "Kyouya! You're awake! I'm sorry I wasn't there! I wasn't expecting you to wake up for another hour!"

One delicate shoulder shrugged. "It's no matter… I knew where you would be."

Kaoru's eyes widened. "How?"

One corner of Kyouya's mouth quirked up, revealing a glimmering fang. "Do you have to ask?"

"No, I suppose not," Kaoru agreed, stepping to his side and settling against him. Kyouya put an arm around the young man's shoulder, one finger tracing the red mark on his neck. "Haruhi, this is Kyouya Ootori. He basically runs the clan behind the scenes."

"I don't think it was necessary to tell her that. She might disrespect our Lord Honey, and that could be disastrous for her well-being."

"I just wanted her to know how much she should respect _you_," Kaoru replied with a smile, nuzzling up to the vampire and pressing a light kiss to his neck.

Kyouya's face seemed to relax into something that was almost a genuinely affectionate smile. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to send her to the maids, then join me…?"

"Of course," Kaoru said, pressing another gentle kiss to the vampire's neck and beckoning to Haruhi. "Come on."

Haruhi stood slowly, but didn't approach the door. It would have required passing too close to the vampire for her liking. The young man may have seemed harmless, but the memories of finding her parents bodies, ripped apart and drained of blood, still stood out too vividly for Haruhi to feel comfortable.

Kyouya looked over at the girl, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded to Kaoru. "Don't be long." And with that, he stepped soundlessly out the door and was gone.

Haruhi stared at the open doorway and was surprised to realize that she was shaking. "He's creepy…" she muttered.

"He takes some getting used to," Kaoru allowed. "Now come on."

This time Haruhi followed Kaoru obediently.

"You're not particularly comfortable around vampires, are you? Or is it just MY vampire you don't like?" Kaoru asked.

"…" Haruhi struggled for words for a minute. "Yeah, I tend not to like creatures that can kill and eat me," she said at last.

Kaoru fixed her with an intense gaze, waiting for her to continue.

Haruhi looked away from him. "My parents were killed by vampires three years ago. It was… horrible." She brushed away a tear from her eye, and was surprised to feel a weight on her shoulder as Kaoru put his arm around her and gave her a gentle one-armed hug.

"I'm sorry. Do you know who did it?"

Haruhi shook her head. "I had gone to the city and I was there overnight. I came home and found them…"

Kaoru winced sympathetically. "That must have been rough. I understand why you'd be wary of vampires now."

"Then I suppose you can also understand why I don't really like the idea of living with them for eternity," Haruhi said.

"Sure, I suppose," Kaoru agreed. "But don't write it off yet. You might meet someone here that you just can't live without."

"Tell me about the vampires in this clan," she said.

"After you're all cleaned up and ready to be presented. Here is the washroom. The maids will clean you up and get you ready. I'll see you later. I have a hungry vampire master to feed." And with that Kaoru winked at her and strode off down the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, finally bringing in the rest of the Ouran boys this chapter, I promise! Wheeeeee sexy vampire Ouran boys! :-D Also, some gratuitous Kyouya/Kaoru because that is my kink right now. Please enjoy the latest chapter, and reviews are my favorite thing ever!

Disclaimer: Don't own Ouran Host Club

Haruhi stepped into the washroom and found herself confronted by twin human girls with dark hair and dresses striped with periwinkle blue and pale yellow. "Ah, you must the new girl!" one of them exclaimed. "Come with us, we'll get you bathed and see what we can do about that hair!"

Haruhi yelped as she was yanked further in. The washroom had a pair of large elegant tubs surrounded by candles, and to the side there was a screen. Haruhi found herself shoved behind it and the girls quickly removed the dirty and torn dress, throwing it aside like a piece of trash. Haruhi tried to cover herself up, but the girls were taking her measurements and talking happily to each other, ignoring Haruhi's cries of protest. Then Haruhi found herself practically thrown into the first tub and told to scrub herself thoroughly. When she was done, one of the girls dunked her head underwater and scrubbed her hair viciously. Then she pulled Haruhi upright, gasping for breath, and sent her to the other tub.

"What's the point of that?" Haruhi yelped.

"That water is filthy now. You surely don't think we expect you to relax in your own filth, do you?"

"I… what?"

"Oh that's right, you're a peasant. You've probably never been able to just lounge around in the bath."

Haruhi's cheeks reddened indignantly. "Aren't you a maid?"

"Sure, but I get to use anything I want in this place. It's just one of the benefits of serving the Ouran clan."

Haruhi groaned and let herself sink further into the tub. The maid pulled out a pair of scissors and got to work fixing Haruhi's ragged hair. Haruhi had to admit that it was rather relaxing and she let her eyes fall closed for a moment.

"Who's coming to get you after we're done with you?" the maid asked.

"Kaoru said he'd be there. He said he had something to do while you have me," Haruhi replied.

The maid smiled. "He'll be with Kyouya then." She sighed dreamily.

Haruhi opened one eye. "What do you know about Kyouya?"

"He's so wonderful… such a tragic figure… There's such a romantic story about him and Tamaki from before they were turned into vampires. You should have Kaoru tell you all about it, I'm sure he knows the full story. I just know the rumors."

"He seems… sinister…" Haruhi finally decided.

The maid just shook her head. "Believe me, it has to be a façade. Kaoru would never be so fond of him if that weren't the case."

Haruhi shook her head doubtfully and allowed herself to be pampered some more. Finally she was yanked to her feet and wrapped in a warm fluffy towel. The second maid had appeared and both girls got to work fixing Haruhi's hair and cleaning her nails. Then they brought out the loveliest gown Haruhi had ever seen. It was pale blue, the same color as Kaoru's vest, made of a velvety material with long sleeves and a golden vine design across the bodice. The two girls soon had her laced into the dress and they shoved her over to a polished silver mirror to observe their handiwork.

Haruhi gasped aloud when she saw her own reflection. Her dark brown hair had been cut short, just above her shoulders (so a little longer than in the anime or manga, but still much shorter than most girls) and was neatly combed and untangled. The dress fitted her like a glove, and she turned a bit to see the way it accentuated what little of a figure she had. Finally they gave her a pair of light blue slippers and put just a small amount of makeup on her face.

"I… don't believe this…" Haruhi whispered.

"Believe me, dear, you're well taken care of in this castle," one of the maids told her.

Haruhi exited the washroom hesitantly, still feeling unrecognizable and not a little frightened of being in the castle full of vampires. To her relief, Kaoru was leaning against the wall and waiting for her.

"Hey!" he said, his eyes lighting up a bit. "You cleaned up good, kid."

Haruhi blushed, but she didn't really know why. It wasn't a particularly romantic thing for him to say. But she was touched all the same.

The castle was slowly becoming livelier as darkness approached. Everywhere Haruhi looked, she saw men and women in elegant clothes walking around or relaxing and talking in small groups. She saw the glimmers of fangs here and there, and could not stop her skin from crawling.

"You'll be introduced to the inner circle first," Kaoru told her, putting an arm around her and guiding her along. Some of the vampires licked their lips upon seeing an unmarked human, but a glare from Kaoru dissuaded them from trying anything. "There's our Lord Honey, he's the clan's elder."

"By elder, do you mean the founder?"

"That's a good word for it, sure. And I have to warn you," Kaoru added, stopping and turning to look at her, "do not underestimate him. I'm sure you'll be… taken aback… when you see him, but I promise you, he is incredibly powerful. He could kill you with no effort, and he can be very dangerous. But he's usually good-tempered, so as long as you're nice to him, he should be fine."

Haruhi just nodded, wondering what sort of person this Lord Honey must be for Kaoru to give her such a cryptic warning.

"Then there's Lord Mori, he's Lord Honey's cousin and right-hand man. Rumor has it that he and Lord Honey were attacked by a vampire that wanted to turn Lord Honey, and Lord Mori nearly died trying to save him. Lord Honey was turned anyways, and he turned his cousin to because he couldn't bear to be without him."

"So he's Lord Honey's protector?"

"Something like that, sure. He's a heck of a fighter and extremely loyal to his cousin. Then there's Prince Tamaki."

"There's a prince here too?" Haruhi asked incredulously.

"Well, that was his title when he was alive, and it's kind of stuck around," Kaoru said with a shrug. "My brother is his human mate. He's an okay guy, kind of weird and flamboyant, but he's nice enough. And then there's Kyouya." A funny smile appeared on his face. "Kyouya's the one that takes care of the clan behind the scenes. Honey's in charge and he's great at it, but Kyouya is the one with the head for numbers. And those four are the ones in charge. If you include me and Hikaru, that's the whole inner circle."

"How many vampires are members of the clan?"

"Maybe a hundred and twenty-five in the clan, but about fifty are patrolling the borders at any given time. And then there's maybe fifty humans living in the castle as servants, mates, blood donors, whatever. There are lots of titles."

Haruhi's eyes widened. It was a bit more than she had expected. Before she could think of anything else to say, they found themselves in front of a large ornately-carved door. The wood was a very dark brown and the golden carvings had vines, leaves, and a gigantic O and C on each door. It was beautiful and opulent, just like everything else in this castle and Haruhi once again felt out of place when she thought of her small one-room hut near the fields of her village. Kaoru gave her an encouraging smile before rapping on the door. It creaked open slowly to reveal a young man who was identical to Kaoru in every respect except for the red mark above his left collarbone and hair parted on the opposite side as Kaoru's.

"Kaoru, you're here!" the young man exclaimed. "Oooh, she's cute!"

"Haruhi, this is Hikaru. Hikaru, Haruhi."

"Haruhi, eh? Cute name for a cute girl," Hikaru said with a sly grin, leaning in a bit closer than Haruhi was really comfortable with.

"Uh… hi…" she said at last.

"HHHHIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKAAAAARRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" someone yelled from inside the room.

Hikaru snorted with laughter. "Yes, milord?" he called over his shoulder.

"Hikaru, who's there? Is Kaoru there? Is that new person there? Come on, don't tease us, bring them in!"

"Okay milord!" Hikaru exclaimed. But he had barely pulled the door open when he was shoved aside by a young man dressed from head to toe in periwinkle blue. That color only served to bring out his violet eyes, and his straw-blonde hair seemed to sparkle. He was perfectly beautiful, but for Haruhi, the effect was marred by the fangs that appeared when he smiled, which seemed like his default facial expression.

"Hello there!" he exclaimed. Haruhi tried to decide if she should shield her eyes, because the young man seemed to almost sparkle. She yelped in surprise as he grabbed her hands and yanked her into the room, twirling her around like she weighed nothing. They spun around for a few moments, then he dipped her so that her head nearly hit the floor, and he loomed over her, fangs glimmering as he regarded her. "Such a lovely princess. You'll be a breath of fresh air around here."

Haruhi felt her cheeks heat up and she stuttered something incoherent.

"Tamaki, please release her. She's frightened enough as it is, I'm sure she doesn't appreciate being tossed around like that."

Haruhi turned to see Kyouya sitting at a small writing desk in the corner of the room. The room was dim, with only a few candles scattered around, and Kyouya was nearly lost in the darkness. He was holding a quill pen and was writing on a sheet of parchment, not even looking at the display.

"Awww, but Mommy, have you seen her? She's just like a pretty little doll! I just want to hug her and squeeze her!"

"I would advise against that. And stop calling me Mommy," Kyouya said, pushing his glasses further up onto his nose. He finally looked at Haruhi. "Lord Honey will most likely make his entrance within the hour. Please make yourself comfortable until then. I'm sure the others can entertain you, but I hope you'll excuse if I don't join in. I have rather a lot of work to get done this evening."

Tamaki's violet eyes widened. "Whhhhaaaaattttt? Kyouya! You can't work right now! Spend time with us!" he whined, scampering over to the dark-haired vampire and leaning over his shoulder.

"Tamaki, I cannot slack off whenever I feel like it. A lot of work goes into keeping this clan running."

"I'll help you then so you can get done faster and spend time with us!" Tamaki declared.

Kyouya actually sat upright at this declaration and turned to glare at the golden-haired prince. "You will do no such thing."

Tears appeared in Tamaki's eyes. "Are you saying that you don't trust me?"

Kyouya sighed, the tips of his fingers moving to press against his forehead. "That's not it at all. But I know what this clan needs to keep running smoothly. You would probably sign an order having half the clan go out to find you a puppy."

Tamaki laughed, his head dipping to rest on the other vampire's shoulder. "I suppose you're right, Mommy… as usual."

Kyouya just shook his head, but he didn't go back to writing since moving that hand would have moved the shoulder Tamaki was leaning on.

Haruhi blinked. Then she looked over at the twins, who were watching the scene with their arms crossed. Hikaru looked annoyed, but Kaoru almost looked… wistful. Then they snapped out of it and swooped over to stand on either side of her.

"Come with us, Miss Haruhi," Hikaru said loudly.

"Yes, come sit by the window. The view is lovely," Kaoru added, his voice also ringing with false cheer.

"Umm… okay," Haruhi said, allowing herself to be led to a wide window seat. It was lined with velvet, stacked with pillows and cushions, and looked out over a beautiful courtyard. The sun had set by now, though the moon had not yet put on an appearance. Haruhi admired the view and tried to think of something to say to the twins, but she was spared by the reappearance of Tamaki.

"Hello again, my princess!" the exuberant blonde exclaimed, somehow managing to sit between Hikaru and Haruhi, and throwing his arms around the startled girl. "You're just so adorable, I could eat you up!"

Haruhi's eyes widened and the twins snorted with amusement. As Tamaki continued to coo over Haruhi, Kyouya tapped his fingers lightly against the desktop and Kaoru was at his side in a second, bending over to listen to whatever Kyouya had to say. Hikaru, meanwhile, was trying to wrench Haruhi out of Tamaki's iron grip, yelling that he was only scaring the poor girl. And then he noticed his twin hanging over Kyouya.

"Oh for heaven's sakes! My poor baby brother, trapped in the web of the Shadow King again!"

"Oh shove it, Hikaru. We've been together for half a century; one of these days, you should quit your whining," Kaoru said.

"You don't have to shove it in my face! Sometimes I just can't stand the thought of you being manipulated by that… demon!"

A slightly predatory smile appeared on Kyouya's face and he reached out to put an arm around Kaoru's waist, pulling the human into his lap. "My, your dear twin is sensitive, isn't he?"

"He's just jealous," Kaoru replied, swiveling so that he was straddling the dark-haired vampire. Kyouya smiled and kissed the boy, who returned the kiss eagerly.

Haruhi glanced at Hikaru at just the right moment and caught something very much like triumph flash through his eyes. At that moment she had two realizations: First, Kaoru was very much in love with Kyouya, and second, Hikaru was provoking Kyouya into showing Kaoru more affection after the little display with Tamaki that Haruhi still hadn't puzzled out. Kyouya seemed to genuinely like Kaoru, but was there something between him and Tamaki as well?

Before Haruhi could finish pondering this, a door at the other end of the large room swung open. The room behind it was pitch-black, so it took a moment before Haruhi even noticed someone there, but suddenly there were two figures in the room with them. The first was a very young child with golden hair and large golden-brown eyes. He was dressed in a mixture of light blue and light yellow that only served to make him look incredibly young, maybe seven years old. The figure next to him was his exact opposite in every way. This one was tall (so very tall, twice Haruhi's height perhaps), with spiky dark brown hair and deep dark brown eyes. He wore black pants, black shoes, and a black jacket over a periwinkle blue shirt.

Haruhi didn't even realize when she'd rose to her feet, but everyone else in the room was also on their feet and bowing, so she curtsied deeply to the pair. The child nodded to all of them and settled himself on a large chair prominently placed in the room.

"Kyouya, do you have anything for me?" he asked as the tall man moved to stand unobtrusively behind the throne.

"Yes, my lord," Kyouya said, stepping up to the boy with several pieces of parchment. "These are the reports that urgently require your attention."

"Thank you," the boy said, taking the parchment and glancing through it quickly. "Tamaki?"

"I'm so glad you asked, sir!" the blonde exclaimed, leaping forward excitedly. "Everyone has been gossiping about how Wilhelm and Katsuya have been at each other's throats, ignoring your very specific rules about fighting among clan members. Rumor has it they are both vying for the attention of a certain human who lives in a nearby village."

"I'll deal with it, thank you," the boy said. Finally those honey-colored eyes landed on Haruhi. "You must be the new captured human."

Haruhi felt her mouth go dry under his intense scrutiny. It had finally dawned on her that the boy was actually the mysterious Lord Honey, the one in charge of the entire clan, and the one who would decide when she died.

"It would be so convenient if you would solve the problem of the fighting among my clan members, but I'm sure I won't be that lucky," the boy was saying. "What's your name anyways?"

"Haruhi… Haruhi Fujioka," the girl finally choked out, dropping into another deep curtsy.

Suddenly the boy's entire demeanor changed. He seemed sweet and adorable and she could have sworn she saw pink flowers floating around him as he stared at her with those giant doe-like eyes. "Wow, how adorable! You're really cute and I hope you do stay with us. I bet you'll be fun to have around. Let's go have some cake and you can meet the rest of the clan." He sprang off his chair, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the door, ignoring her startled yelp.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N:I wasn't intending to post this until tomorrow, but I've had so many wonderful reviews! I am so happy to hear that so many people have enjoyed the first three chapters, so to thank everyone, I'm posting the latest chapter a little earlier than I'd intended since I wrote it so fast. Reviews really do inspire me!

After the party, this chapter is basically a lot of Kyouya/Kaoru because I'm insane and I love that pairing. I love the Mori/Haruhi story I have in mind right now, but I can't help but explore the romance between Kaoru and Kyouya because I have this epic story in my head that is basically a fic by itself. So after struggling with writing and rewriting this chapter, I ended up deciding to go ahead and write that fic. I'm starting it here soon, but it won't be posted until this fic is done. Oh, and this is the first chapter with serious mature content, so reader beware!

Disclaimer: Don't own Ouran Host Club

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Haruhi found herself swept into a massive ballroom while young Lord Honey dragged her around, introducing her to numerous vampires with predatory expressions on their faces. The tall man, who Haruhi realized must be Lord Mori, was never more than a few paces away from his cousin, and she also saw Tamaki, Kyouya, and the twins mingling about and socializing with the various vampires and humans in the clan.

As Haruhi was implored to try different delicacies that Honey insisted were sweet and delicious, she was amazed by the amount of luxury. But she simply could not get over the tension and fear she felt being near so many vampires. Everywhere she looked, she saw the gleam of fangs, and many were drinking deeply from goblets containing a thick red liquid that looked suspiciously like blood. One vampire smiled at her and she saw the faint red hue on his teeth, and she nearly passed out on the spot.

A strong hand gripped her elbow, and she looked up to find Mori gazing down at her, something resembling concern in his dark eyes. Haruhi wondered if it was the light, but his skin seemed to almost have a healthy tan glow, something that the rest of the vampires didn't have. All the rest were so pale and white and corpse-like.

"You okay?" Mori asked her.

Haruhi found that her mouth had dried up again and she couldn't speak.

"You don't look well," Mori tried again.

"I…" Haruhi stammered. She swallowed and tried again. "I think I need to leave."

Mori inclined his head slightly and Haruhi could only guess that he understood. He looked around, made eye contact with someone, and nodded at Haruhi. Kaoru appeared next to them in an instant.

"Wow, Haruhi, you look really pale. I bet you're exhausted, huh? Let's get you to your room."

"Thanks," she said meekly. Then she looked up at Mori. "Sorry for running out like this. But thank you," she almost stammered.

"Anytime," he said simply before gliding off in search of his cousin. She couldn't help but watch him go.

"You have your eye on him?" Kaoru teased as he took her arm and guided her out of the ballroom.

"Absolutely not!" Haruhi hissed. "This evening has just convinced me that I don't want anything to do with any of these vampires. They're just… terrifying."

"Aww, sure some of them are assholes, but some of them are pretty great," Kaoru said. "Mori is one of the good ones. At least I think he is. He doesn't say much though."

"I've noticed."

They walked through the hallways until they reached a rather fancy set of doors.

"What's this?" Haruhi asked.

"This is the quarters for the inner circle. Lord Honey said you're to have a room here where you'll be safe rather than sending you back to a cell or leaving you in the main area of the castle at the mercy of any asshole that wants a snack and thinks they can take blood from any unmarked human they want."

Haruhi shuddered.

"Hey, relax. No one will hurt you in here. And you should be happy, Lord Honey must like you. He doesn't do this for just any random human." Kaoru stopped at an unobtrusive door and opened it. Haruhi followed him in and gasped.

The room was small compared to other rooms in the castle, but still seemed the height of luxury to a simple village girl. There was a small window at one end with a low cushioned seat. The bed was larger than any she had ever slept in. The whole thing was simple and tidy, perhaps a bit nicer than servants quarters, but not much really.

"It's lovely!" she gasped.

Kaoru smiled. "This will be your room until you choose a vampire… or don't, whichever." He glossed over the consequences of not choosing one without much effort.

"This is amazing…" Haruhi muttered, approaching the bed. She saw that a shift and a robe had already been laid out on the bed for her, and there was a wardrobe in one corner. She opened that and discovered several outfits, all of which looked like they would fit her perfectly. "Oh my…"

"The maids we have here are very efficient," Kaoru said with a smile. He had found a candle and lit it, giving the room more light besides the faint moonlight that streamed in the open window. "Do you want the curtains drawn?"

"No, I think I'll sit there for a few minutes," Haruhi said at last. She perched lightly on the window seat and removed the light blue slippers. Kaoru shifted from one foot to the other, seeming unsure whether he should stay with the girl or leave her alone.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked finally.

Haruhi frowned just a bit. Then she bit her lip, glancing up at him through her bangs as she debated whether to ask the question that had been preying on her mind most of the evening. "…Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, anything," Kaoru said with a teasing grin. "Just don't expect me to give you an answer if I don't want to."

"Can you… tell me about you and Kyouya?"

Kaoru's smile faded. "What do you mean?"

"Something that one of the maids said… about how tragic Kyouya was…"

Kaoru frowned, then stepped over to the small dressing table that Haruhi hadn't noticed, but was next to the wardrobe. He sat on the low bench there and faced the girl. "It's not really something we like to talk about," he said at last.

Haruhi's cheeks flamed up. "Well then you don't have to tell me."

But Kaoru was shaking his head. "No, if you don't hear it from me, you'll just hear the gossip… and we know that gossip can be very wrong."

He settled back and looked at her carefully. Haruhi frowned a little, biting her lip and crossing one of her legs under the voluminous skirt. Finally Kaoru dipped his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Well, Haruhi, it's like this… Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince. Except he wasn't really a prince because he was actually the king's bastard child. An affair with a servant girl, that sort of thing. So the boy couldn't inherit the kingdom, but he was such a good-looking boy, the king decided he'd make a great marriage, so he called the boy 'prince' and set him up in a castle of his own."

"I suppose that prince is Tamaki?" Haruhi guessed.

"Who else?" Kaoru said with a wicked smile. "Anyways, so the prince had a servant who was brilliant and ran the entire estate by himself. The servant was also the prince's only real friend and the prince was very fond of him. But what he never knew was that the servant was in love with the prince."

A tiny frown appeared on Haruhi's face, but Kaoru didn't let her interrupt this time.

"The prince was engaged to marry a beautiful princess and the servant was broken-hearted. But then something terrible happened… the prince fell deathly ill."

"Oh!" Haruhi gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth.

"The castle was abandoned and all the servants left to return to court. Everyone knew the prince was going to die, and no one could be bothered to hang around because he was only a bastard after all. Only one servant stayed by the prince's side."

Haruhi opened her mouth again, but again Kaoru didn't let her speak.

"As the prince lay on his deathbed, the servant summoned a vampire. He offered the vampire absolutely anything that he wanted if he would turn the prince so that he didn't have to die. The vampire agreed under one condition… he would also turn the servant into a vampire."

"…I don't understand…" Haruhi began, but Kaoru cut her off.

"Vampires cannot be in a relationship with each other. Biologically they cannot because of the way blood and sex are related for vampires… it's complicated, don't worry about it. Plus it's against the law of the Ouran clan, in case anyone thinks they can find a way around basic biology."

"So by becoming a vampire…"

"The servant would be giving up any chance of ever being in a relationship with the prince."

"But couldn't he have turned the prince into his human mate?"

Kaoru smiled sadly and shook his head. "No… the prince was much too ill. The powers of a new vampire would not have been sufficient to save his life. Besides, you've met Tamaki… he loves the power that comes with being a vampire. So to save the life of his prince, the servant agreed to the vampire's terms. Both men were turned into vampires that night. The prince's life was saved, and the servant tucked away his love for the prince, resolving never to reveal it to the prince as long as they are both of this world."

Haruhi wiped away a tear. "That's… so tragic…" she whispered.

Kaoru didn't answer for a moment. He still wasn't looking at Haruhi. "And that's pretty much it, I guess."

"No it isn't," Haruhi said suddenly, leaning towards Kaoru. He finally looked at her, and she wasn't surprised to see how moist his eyes were. "You haven't told me how you and Kyouya actually met."

"Oh, that story sucks…" Kaoru said with a weak chuckle. "Just a couple bratty half-gypsy boys who'd been kicked around their whole lives and happened to get captured by vampires…and there they met the first people who actually treated them like regular people and not devils or beasts or whatever… and decided to stay with them, even if they were vampires."

"You and Kyouya seem happy together," Haruhi said at last.

Kaoru smiled. "Believe me, we are. I know he still has feelings for Tamaki, and that hurts. Hikaru doesn't really care, he and Tamaki enjoy teasing each other and flirting with other people, that's how their relationship works. But Kyouya…" He stopped and shook his head.

"He means so much to you," Haruhi suggested.

"Yeah…" Kaoru sighed. "And I know I mean a lot to him too. I try not to be jealous, but… it can be hard. But at the end of the day, we love each other, and that's all that matters." He stood up at last and stretched. "I should get going. I bet the party is about over."

"Okay," Haruhi said, also rising to her feet. She paused, scuffing one bare foot against the floor. "Could you… do me one more favor?" she asked finally, her voice shaking.

"If I can," Kaoru said cautiously.

Haruhi turned to stare out the window, then tilted her head to glance at him over her shoulder. "Unlace me?"

"…I beg your pardon?" Kaoru nearly choked out.

"These gowns… I've never worn anything like this… And I don't want to go looking for a maid… But there are some laces in the back…. If you just loosen those up… I can get the rest."

"Uh… sure," Kaoru said, approaching her cautiously. Haruhi reached back, lifting her chestnut-brown hair off the back of her neck. And sure enough, he could see the pretty corset-lacing heading up her back. He carefully undid the knot, unthreading the laces until the gown loosened and began to slide off Haruhi's shoulders. Instead of a bare back, he could see the creamy-white undergarment she was wearing and he had to fight to keep from blowing on the back of her neck to see if she would shudder… an enticing prospect to be sure. Haruhi turned her head again and smiled at him, jolting him back to his senses.

"Thanks," she said, oblivious to his interest.

"Uh, no problem," Kaoru said, taking a few quick steps backwards. "Uh, sleep well. I'll see you later." And with that, he fled. Haruhi blinked at his abrupt departure, but then she removed her clothes, slid into the silky shift, blew out the candle, and snuggled down under the covers of the lovely bed, falling asleep in minutes.

Kaoru, on the other hand, hurried through the hallways of the castle that he knew like the back of his hand. He was breathing perhaps a little faster than normal, but soon he was calm again. Haruhi had a certain innocence about her that intrigued him, but he was also feeling a little high-strung after the many painful reminders that his lover had feelings for someone else.

Entering the room he shared with Kyouya, Kaoru stepped over to the window. The room was similar to Haruhi's, but much larger with a large sofa where the two boys often reclined, and a table and chairs where they could sit and play chess or work on paperwork for the clan together.

Kaoru moved to the window, looking out into the gardens. He shed his vest, but was soon lost in thought and didn't finish getting undressed. Moonlight glimmered off his bare chest, illuminating several silver scars that were barely concealed by the vests and similar sleeveless garments he usually wore. He reached up to close the drapes, but was stopped by a pair of slim white arms wrapping around his arms and torso. For a moment, Kaoru froze, but then he relaxed and leaned back into Kyouya's arms.

"Hey," the redhead murmured happily.

"Kaoru…" Kyouya murmured, pulling the other boy against him. Kyouya had entered their bedroom to see Kaoru standing by the window. The vampire had also discarded his shirt and decided to sneak up on his human lover. The dark-haired man hooked his chin over Kaoru's shoulder so they could look at each other.

"Hmm?" Kaoru murmured, amber eyes slightly hooded.

"I'm sorry about earlier…" Kyouya murmured.

Kaoru blinked. Kyouya almost never apologized. "You don't have to be."

"Of course I do," Kyouya replied, pressing a feather-light kiss to the side of Kaoru's neck. The boy's hands reached up to grasp Kyouya's arms. "You know I love you… Let me make it up to you," Kyouya continued, his breath tickling Kaoru's neck.

"How?" Kaoru asked, a devilish grin appearing on his face.

Kyouya smiled, then spun Kaoru around, pinning him to the nearest wall. Kaoru managed to reach up and pull on the drawstring, letting the thick curtains fall closed. Then his mouth was caught up in Kyouya's and the pair kissed hungrily for a few moments.

Pinning Kaoru's hands above his head, Kyouya gently licked the throbbing pulse in the human's neck while his free hand got to work on the fastenings of Kaoru's pants. Kaoru whined, arching his body into Kyouya's. The vampire ran his tongue slowly up and down Kaoru's neck, paying special attention to the red mark on his neck, the mark where Kyouya fed. His hand finally loosened Kaoru's pants, sending them pooling around his ankles, then he grasped the human's already hard cock. At his lover's touch, Kaoru's whine became almost desperate with need.

"Kyouya… please…" he moaned, his voice shaky and barely above a whisper.

"Shh," Kyouya murmured, quieting Kaoru with a quick kiss while his hand busily worked Kaoru's cock. Already high-strung and desperate for this sort of interaction, Kaoru was quickly approaching the brink. Unable to wait an instant longer, Kyouya turned his attention back to the mark on Kaoru's neck. Although the room was dark, his fangs seemed to glimmer for just an instant before they pierced Kaoru's skin and he moaned as the sharp coppery taste of his lover's blood overwhelmed his senses. He lapped greedily at the gently flowing blood, then gently sucked at the wound.

Kaoru uttered a loud moan of ecstasy when he was first bitten, and he came with an even louder groan as Kyouya sucked hungrily at the injury. His legs shook and his body sagged and he would have fallen if Kyouya hadn't been holding him so tightly. Just to be safe, Kyouya braced his sticky hand against Kaoru's hip and pressed his body against the panting human as he drank his fill.

Finally pulling back and licking his lips, Kyouya's shining gray eyes met Kaoru's dilated amber ones. Kaoru's chest continued to heave and he was clearly not going to be able to stand on his own anytime soon. So Kyouya scooped the human up in his arms and carried him the few paces over to the bed and laid him down. Then the vampire stripped his own pants off and settled under the blankets next to Kaoru, who had finally caught his breath.

"Feeling better?" Kyouya asked, the tiniest of smiles appearing on his face as he propped himself up on one elbow to look down at the redhead.

"Somewhat," Kaoru said with a smile. He reached out, fingertips just barely caressing Kyouya's cheek. "I know you love me. I'm sorry I have such a problem with you and Tamaki."

"It's okay. I think I like that you get jealous because it shows how much you care," Kyouya murmured, his fingers running over Kaoru's arm.

Kaoru smirked and ran his fingers down Kyouya's neck, briefly tracing his collarbone before moving to ghost across one of Kyouya's nipples. The vampire couldn't stop himself from shuddering.

"I just took a substantial amount of blood from you… You cannot possibly be ready for further activity," Kyouya almost hissed.

"Says who?" Kaoru asked, giving the vampire's nipple an extra tweak. With a low growl, Kyouya slid closer so that his hands could find Kaoru. Their bodies melded together as the first rays on sunlight touched the castle walls; though in the darkened room, neither noticed nor cared.

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A/N: Okay, that was my fantastic Kyouya/Kaoru chapter. I'm sorry about the detour, but I couldn't concentrate on moving on to the rest of the story until I got this out of my system. Even writing a lovely detailed outline for my companion piece wasn't enough for me, so this chapter had to be written. The story will get back on track in the next chapter, I promise! And I hope my little teasers make you as excited as I am for the companion piece I'm going to start soon. KyoKao is my drug right now…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A/N: As promised, back to the real plot. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, there is a minor plot point of this chapter that was kind of taken from Beauty and the Beast… which is weird, cuz I haven't seen that movie since I was like ten… I can't believe I remember it well enough.

Anyways, thank you all for being so understanding about my little detour. I'm glad people seem interested in the planned companion piece! I've made a nice outline for it and started jotting down ideas. But right now I kinda need to focus on getting this one written... Oh, and for anyone who was wondering, there is not going to be a lot of Tamaki/Hikaru in this fic mostly because I haven't worked out in my own head how their relationship is going to be. But it will be a big part of the companion piece, alongside Kyouya/Kaoru. The rest of this fic is going to be all Mori/Haruhi, I promise!

As always, please enjoy the chapter, and reviews inspire me and my writings! The update will be as soon as I have written the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Ouran Host Club!

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The next day, Haruhi rose rather late, some hours after noon. She quickly dressed herself in a much simpler gown, a pretty light yellow thing with light blue flowers all over it. Unwilling to leave the comfort of her room without knowing where she was going, she explored the room a little and found a book tucked into the nightstand, so she settled herself in the window seat to read.

She lost track of time while she was reading, and was jerked out of her reverie by a loud knock at her door. For a moment she froze, wondering who (or what!) was on the other side, but then she heard Kaoru's voice.

"Haruhi? Are you in there?"

"What makes you think she's there? She probably rang for a maid to show her where to find food or something," Hikaru said.

"I'm in here, come in," Haruhi called, searching for a bookmark.

The Hitachiin twins entered at her call. Hikaru glanced around the room, clearly unimpressed. "This place is a dump, did Lord Honey stick you in the servant's quarters by mistake?"

Kaoru nudged his brother. "Haruhi, I see you were enjoying a book before we came in."

"Has literacy spread to peasants now?" Hikaru asked. Kaoru elbowed him again.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "No, I'm unusual. My parents actually encouraged me. They wanted more for me than the life of a villager." She turned away to put the book aside, not willing to let them see the pain on her face as she thought of the sacrifices her parents had made for her… and all for nothing now that they were dead.

"Come on, we're going to have a meal with the inner circle. Lord Honey insisted that we guide you around as much as possible. I don't know what you did to make such a good impression on him, but you should keep it up," Kaoru said cheerfully.

They arrived at the same room they had been in the day before. Kaoru rang for a servant, who brought three dinners to the room. The trio ate and talked, quickly falling into a comfortable conversation. Haruhi felt as though she had known these two boys for years. But eventually they left, needing to tend to their vampire masters when they woke up, leaving Haruhi quite alone. She eyed up the bookshelf at one end of the room, and finally cautiously approached it.

The bookshelf was full of titles she had never seen before, and she skimmed as many as she could, occasionally picking up a book to take a closer look. She was so absorbed in this little activity that she failed to notice someone watching her from a doorway.

Setting a book back on the shelves, she accidentally stirred up a bit of dust, and sneezed. Turning away from the shelves so as not to sneeze on the books, she finally noticed the tall figure watching her and she jumped.

"Oh! Lord Mori!" she gasped, dropping into a curtsy. "I'm so sorry! I didn't notice you there!" she gasped, moving away from the shelves as fast as she could. Those intense dark eyes followed her the whole time and she felt herself tremble under the scrutiny.

"You did nothing wrong," Mori said simply. "I apologize for disturbing you." And with that, he turned and vanished back through the doorway, leaving Haruhi a bit unnerved.

Happily, Hikaru and Kaoru showed up soon after with Tamaki and Kyouya, and she was quickly distracted by having to fend off Tamaki's attentions. She couldn't possibly call it flirting though…

"HHHHAAAAARRRRRUUUUUHHHHIIIIIIII! My darling daughter! Did you sleep well?" Tamaki crowed, racing across the room to scoop her up and twirl her around like a doll.

Haruhi yelped in alarm. "Please put me down!" she exclaimed. "And I'm not your daughter!"

Tears appeared in Tamaki's eyes. "MOMMMMMMMYYYYY! Our darling daughter refuses to acknowledge that I'm her father!"

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Kyouya asked, pushing his glasses further up onto his nose. "You AREN'T her father."

"Mommy is so cruel to me!" Tamaki exclaimed dramatically, falling onto one of the couches in the room in a fainting position. Kyouya just looked irritated, and he and Kaoru moved over to the desk to begin going over paperwork. Hikaru kicked the couch that Tamaki was lying on, and he rolled his eyes at Haruhi.

"Ignore him, he's being a drama queen again."

Before Tamaki had a chance to protest, Honey and Mori entered the room and everyone jumped up to bow to their clan elder. After getting the latest information from Kyouya and gossip from Tamaki, Honey turned his attention to Haruhi.

"It's so nice to have a pretty girl here, you really seem to brighten the room up! I hope you decide to stay with us!" Honey exclaimed, pink flowers flying around his head again. He grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the door. "Come on, we're having a garden party tonight."

Haruhi really had no choice but allow the vampire to pull her along, but she was stunned by what she saw. The gardens had several candles sitting about, illuminating the paths and the nighttime-blooming flowers. The stars were simply magnificent, and it was almost enough to make Haruhi forget that she was surrounded by vampires. Almost.

It didn't take long for several vampires to approach her and try to catch her attention, but Haruhi simply couldn't bring herself to talk with any of them for any length of time. So she attached herself to Hikaru and Kaoru, and the vampires generally seemed to leave her alone when she was under their protection. The twins were perfect gentlemen, guiding her around and showing her the lovely sights on the castle grounds. Still, it was relatively early when Haruhi found herself yawning and Kaoru gallantly offered to escort her to her room. He left quickly, though whether to return to the party or slip away for an assignation with Kyouya, Haruhi didn't care to know.

The next day, Haruhi again woke up quite late after such a late night, but this seemed rather normal in a castle filled with vampires. She dressed this time in a lovely periwinkle blue gown with a voluminous skirt and some matching gloves that went up to her elbows. Standing before the mirror, she turned this way and that, and suddenly realized that if she spun fast enough, hidden yellow panels in the skirt emerged, making her look like a flower caught in the act of blooming. The effect was enchanting, and she made a mental note to thank the maids later. Haruhi thought about waiting for the Hitachiin twins to come and fetch her again, but she had already finished her book and was quite bored. So she decided to venture out on her own.

Haruhi would later think back and wonder how on earth she could have forgotten that there were always vampires awake no matter what hour of the day it was, but she had. Perhaps if she had remembered this, she would have used more caution. She wandered up and down the corridors of the castle, trying to skirt the humans and vampires wandering around. But soon the hairs stood up on the back of her neck, and she glanced back to see three male vampires watching her with interest. Trying desperately to ignore them, she hurried out of the room and down the nearest corridor. But as she approached a corner, she glanced back again to see the three vampires were now following her. Even more alarmed, she gathered up her skirts and picked up the pace, hoping to find herself safe in the private quarters of the inner circle.

An ice-cold hand gripped her wrist, forcing her to stop in her tracks. She turned, trying to pry the hand off her wrist, but her other hand was grabbed by a second vampire, and she found herself pinned against the wall while three pairs of red eyes gleamed down at her. She swallowed, trying her best not to betray any fear. But judging by the leering grins, she was unsuccessful.

"Hey there, darling," one of the vampire hissed. "Didn't you know it's dangerous to wander around here by yourself?"

Haruhi couldn't manage anything more than a startled squeak.

"Those Hitachiin twins may be able to wander around wherever they please, but they have some pretty powerful vamps backing them up. No one's gonna stand up for you, sweetie. We could do anything we wanted to you and no one would bat an eye," a second vampire said, leaning forward to sniff at her.

"But… Lord Honey…" Haruhi gasped.

"Oh, he might be a little irritated with us, but he knows as well as anyone that you're scared to death to even be near a vampire. You're not going to willingly give your blood to anyone, so you'll be dead by sunrise. We're just saving everyone the effort," the third vampire told her, and his tone was so matter-of-fact that Haruhi's blood ran cold at the truth therein.

The first vampire leaned in towards her and inhaled deeply. "Fear makes the blood taste so much sweeter…" he sighed lovingly.

"Don't bother struggling, darling," the second vampire murmured to her. "It'll just be more unpleasant for you."

Haruhi finally found her voice and started screaming. The third vampire clapped his hand over her mouth and leaned in to take his first taste, ignoring the muffled cries of fear coming from his victim. Haruhi wanted to close her eyes so she didn't have to see her own death approaching, but the only thing she seemed to be able to control was the screaming.

A blur appeared on the edge of her vision, and the vampire that had been about to bite her neck was sent flying. The scream died in Haruhi's throat and she couldn't breathe as Lord Mori appeared, not even showing any signs of exertion after throwing another vampire down a hallway. Those intense dark eyes fell onto the other two vampires who were still pinning Haruhi to the wall.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mori growled, his deep voice laced with barely controlled rage.

The two vampires dropped Haruhi at once and she sagged against the wall. "Lord Mori! We heard that no one wanted her!" one of the vampires tried to explain.

"Yes, and she was all alone, and we just thought…"

"You thought wrong," Mori said simply.

The vampires trembled and crouched submissively before Mori. The one who had been thrown down the hallway was stirring, rubbing his head and cursing. Mori glared down towards him, but saw no threat there. He waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal, and the trio fled. Finally he focused on Haruhi, who was shaking so hard she could barely stand up.

"Are you okay?" Mori asked her gently. Haruhi managed a feeble whimper, shaking her head as tears filled her large brown eyes. Mori lifted one arm and gestured for her to come to him. And Haruhi found herself flying towards him, hurling herself into the safety of his arms. Mori folded his arms gently around her, steadying the trembling body in his embrace and letting her sob out her fear and anxiety.

Once her sobs had subsided, Haruhi took a step back from him, wiping her eyes. Mori let go of her at once, and Haruhi found herself… almost disappointed that he had not tried to hold onto her. Of course, this made no sense, since she would have panicked even more if he had tried to hold her. But before she could think about this further, he lightly touched her shoulder, drawing back her attention.

"Where were you going?" he asked. His gaze was as cool and impassive as ever, yet Haruhi could have sworn there was warmth there, but maybe she was so frightened and desperate for reassurance that she was finding it everywhere she looked.

"I was just looking around," she whispered, her voice surprisingly steady as she pulled herself together.

Mori nodded. "Come with me," he murmured, fingers pressing lightly into her shoulder to direct her down the hallway.

It never even occurred to Haruhi to go against him. She walked obediently next to him, his hand remaining lightly on her shoulder, his footsteps making no sound as he walked next to her, somehow making his long strides match her much shorter ones. Although they passed many vampires as they walked, none even approached them, so great was Mori's power and influence.

Finally they arrived at a plain wooden door in a part of the castle that Haruhi had not explored yet. "What's this?" she asked. Mori glanced down at her, and one eyebrow quirked just a bit in something resembling amusement. Without verbally answering her, he opened the door, and Haruhi gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth in shock.

The room was a library, filled to the brim with books. It wasn't a large room, but it was cozy and retained the opulence of the rest of the castle. There was a fireplace there, and windows with thick curtains and seats in front of them. There was several large comfortable chairs, small tables, and candles everywhere, giving the room a warm and scholarly feeling. Although the room was tidy and there was no dust, it had the unmistakable musty smell of a room that was not used often.

"It's lovely!" Haruhi whispered excitedly. Mori just nodded, gesturing for her to enter. Haruhi browsed around the room for several minutes, just soaking in the sight of all those books in one place. Finally she selected two volumes, pulling them off the shelves. Mori had grabbed a book while she was browsing, and was lounging in a chair near the fireplace, one long leg crossed and resting on top of the other. Haruhi was surprised to realize that she was enjoying the sight, and quickly shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. She settled in a chair next to his, curling her legs underneath her and straightening the skirt of her dress before engrossing herself in one of the books.

Time flew by that fateful afternoon, and sunset was approaching when Haruhi's stomach suddenly growled. Mori lowered his book at once.

"You need food." He glanced towards the window, though Haruhi didn't know why since the thick curtains hid all hints of the sunlight. "And Mitsukuni will be awake soon." At Haruhi's puzzled look, he amended his statement. "Lord Honey."

"Oh… okay. Let's go then," Haruhi said, leaping to her feet and tucking her books under her arm. And together they made their way through the castle towards the private quarters of the inner circle. Most of the vampires were awake by now, and Haruhi couldn't help but notice the stares that she and Mori were attracting. She saw several vampires start whispering to each other as they stared, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

They arrived at the large room where the last two evenings had begun. Kyouya and Kaoru were already there, Kyouya working at his desk and Kaoru eating from one of the three plates already laid out. Both glanced up when the door opened. Kyouya remained composed, but his ducked his head slightly so that light reflected off his glasses, obscuring his eyes. Kaoru was less successful, his eyes widened in a visible display of surprise.

"Good evening Kaoru, Kyouya," Haruhi said with a quick curtsy. "Thank you for the escort, Lord Mori," she added with a deeper curtsy towards the second most powerful vampire in clan Ouran. He just nodded to her and exited through the door at the other end of the chamber. She sat down next to Kaoru, finally realizing how truly hungry she was as she pulled the plate closer to her. Kaoru watched her with narrow amber eyes for a moment before leaning towards her.

"So… you and Mori…"

"Yes, what about him?" Haruhi asked.

"Well, I never expected to see you alone with any vampire, much less His Lordship," Kaoru said, spinning his fork between his fingers.

"Blunt as always," Kyouya muttered from behind his roll of parchment.

Kaoru snorted. "Sorry, next time I'll let you interrogate."

"No need, you're doing just fine on your own," Kyouya said.

Kaoru glared at the vampire. Haruhi said nothing, though she began to pick more slowly at her food. "It wasn't anything," she said calmly. "He chased off some vampires that were harassing me, and he took me to the library for a while, and then brought me back here."

"You spent the whole afternoon alone with him?" Kaoru asked.

"Most of it, I suppose. But it wasn't anything, he was just protecting me."

Kaoru rubbed his forehead. "You really don't understand anything that goes on around here, do you?"

Haruhi didn't have a chance to answer before Tamaki and Hikaru burst into the room, engaged in some sort of argument about public displays of affection, but they stopped arguing as soon as they realized that they weren't alone in the room. Tamaki swooped over to Haruhi, scooping her up and twirling her around so that the yellow panels in her dress flared out.

"Oh, just look at you, my darling daughter! You're like the loveliest flower, blooming in the sunshine!" Tamaki exclaimed as he spun her around. Hikaru just snorted and threw himself down on the chair on his brother's other side.

"Tamaki," Kyouya said sternly. "I will not tell you again… Put. Her. Down."

Something in Tamaki's tone actually caught Tamaki's attention, and he lowered the girl gently until she was standing on her own. Then he approached Kyouya and leaned over so that the dark-haired vampire could whisper in his ear. The blonde glanced several times in Haruhi's direction, violet eyes widening with every word Kyouya said. Haruhi sat down again, taking a long drink of water to steady herself.

Honey and Mori chose that moment to enter, and Haruhi couldn't stop her cheeks from heating up when she saw Mori. But it had nothing to do with him, she told herself, it was just because the others were making such a big deal about the two of them hanging out. While Honey and Kyouya discussed clan business, Kaoru and Hikaru conversed through nonverbal cues, to Haruhi's bafflement. And when Honey announced that there would be an indoor party in the ballroom that night, the twins each grabbed one of Haruhi's elbows and whisked her out of the room before anyone else could react.

"Why didn't you tell us about you and Lord Mori?" Hikaru hissed as soon as they were out of earshot of the vampires.

"There isn't anything to tell!" Haruhi argued.

"There absolutely is! Do you think Lord Mori would defend just anyone? Hell, you've seen him, he never talks to anyone but Lord Honey! And he spent the whole afternoon with you! That's real commitment, especially coming from him!"

"You're crazy," Haruhi insisted. "And even if he is interested, I'm not."

"Your eyes say otherwise," Kaoru said. "They shine every time we say his name."

"You're lying," Haruhi told him, finally managing to pry herself loose.

"Are we?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked together.

Haruhi didn't answer because they had just entered the ballroom, and the trio was soon mingling and dancing around the room, the twins taking turns dancing with the girl. But before long, Tamaki appeared to snatch away Hikaru and twirl him across the dance floor. Then Kyouya appeared, laying one slender hand on Kaoru's arm. He didn't have to say a word to communicate his intentions, and Kaoru was following him away at once with barely a word of apology to Haruhi. And she was left alone on the edge of the dance floor.

She started to move away, but felt a presence directly behind her. She turned around rather nervously, but was relieved to see it was only Mori. He held out his hand to her and she took it without hesitation, letting him lead her back onto the floor.

For the rest of the night, she danced with Mori and the twins. Every time she danced with one of the Hitachiins, they would relentlessly interrogate her, but Mori never said a word to her. He seemed to know instinctively what she wanted at all times though, and hovered over her like a protective guard dog. It was… flattering.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked him.

He looked down at her, those intense dark eyes shining with some emotion she couldn't name. Finally he replied, "Because you need to be protected here."

If they had been anywhere but a vampire castle, Haruhi would have been furious at the insinuation that she couldn't take care of herself. After all, this was the same reason she got so angry with the boys in her village when they said she needed a man to help provide for her. But somehow Mori made the exact same sentiment sound noble, like a knight. And she couldn't help but feel flattered by the attention.

"If only you weren't a vampire," she said with a shake of her head.

Mori, as usual, said nothing.

Much later that evening, only a couple hours before sunrise, Haruhi was standing at one end of the ballroom with Hikaru and Tamaki when Kaoru approached. His face was grave, absent its usual cheery grin. Haruhi felt a sick feeling beginning to develop in the pit of her stomach.

"Haruhi…" he began hesitantly.

"Yes?" she asked, her gloved fingers clenching together behind her back.

"Lord Honey wants to see you."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I feel like I was gonna say something semi-important here, but I have no idea what it was... Oh well... I'll just say my usual spiel: Thank you so much for the support in the form of reviews, favorites, follows, etc., everyone has been wonderful! I hope you enjoy my latest chapter, and reviews do inspire me to write faster, so keep them coming!

Oh, and I'm still planning the companion piece, tentatively titled Healing Bloody Wounds. My goal right now is to have the first chapter ready to post at the same time as the last chapter for this fic, but we'll see. I have a lot on my plate right now...

Disclaimer: Don't own Ouran Host Club!

Chapter 6

Haruhi felt the blood drain from her face when Kaoru made his announcement. Even Hikaru and Tamaki were silent, not making their usual jokes.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" she asked at last. Kaoru nodded.

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Hikaru asked.

"Of course I know. I can't do it. I can't," Haruhi whispered. "I could never willingly give my blood to a vampire for the rest of my life."

"Even if it's Lord Mori?" Hikaru demanded. Haruhi shook her head, though she felt an odd pang of regret at that thought.

Haruhi accepted hugs from Tamaki and Hikaru, then followed Kaoru to Honey's quarters. Kyouya was waiting outside the door.

"They're waiting for you inside," Kyouya said mildly.

Kaoru pulled Haruhi close to him and held her there as though he would never let go. "You're sure there's nothing we can do?" he asked, his voice heavy with sadness.

"No," Kyouya said bluntly. "It must be her decision whether she will accept the offer made to her. If she chooses death, then it was her choice to make."

Kaoru said nothing. There was nothing to say. He gave Haruhi one last squeeze before letting her go. Kyouya didn't hug her, but he did nod to her and his gray eyes were somewhat saddened.

"It will be a shame to lose you," he admitted. "You have been a most interesting character to have around."

Haruhi just nodded, took a deep breath for courage, and entered the small room.

Lord Honey was sitting in his large carved chair, his chin resting on his hand. His normally cheerful countenance was unusually grave. Mori was standing just behind the chair, his expression as unreadable as ever. Haruhi approached the throne and dipped into a low curtsy.

"You wished to see me, Lord Honey?" she asked. Her voice was soft, but remarkably steady.

"Oh, yes! Haruhi, I assume the twins told you about the whole human servant thing that we do in this clan…"

"Yes, they did, sir," Haruhi said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Well, for as cute as you are, you haven't been very popular around here. Takashi is the only one who's asked about you." Honey tilted his head to one side and looked at her, but Haruhi's face gave nothing away. "So I'll let you two go off to decide what you're going to do." And with that, the child waved his hand in dismissal.

Mori moved around Honey's chair and gestured with a tilt of his head towards the door. Haruhi followed him obediently. They walked down the hallway to a plain unmarked door. Mori opened it and nodded for her to enter ahead of him.

The room was large and the furnishings were clearly high-quality, but the room was more functional than pretty. There was a large bed, a wardrobe, a couch, a table with a pair of chairs, a window with a seat and thick curtains, and several bookshelves. It was a fitting room for this quiet vampire.

"Sit. Please," Mori said quietly.

Haruhi instinctively moved towards the window seat. She sat down slowly, crossing her ankles and straightening her skirt. Mori sat in one of the chairs at the table, stretching out his legs and propping up his head on his hand. There was a long silence for a while. Haruhi found herself fidgeting, and finally she was desperate to break the silence.

"Why me?" she blurted out.

Mori's dark eyes flicked in her direction and then one eyebrow arched, plainly asking her to elaborate. But Haruhi didn't know how. So she changed the subject to the topic at hand.

"I… I don't think I can do this," she stammered, unable to look at him. She was shaking now, a tremor racing through her whole body in a way that was impossible to hide.

"I know," Mori said.

Haruhi stared at him. "What?"

"You have to be willing. You're not." It was simple, matter-of-fact. And of course this meant that Haruhi had to die. Yet Mori was making no move. He seemed relaxed, very much at ease. Surely if he was thinking about her demise, he would be more coiled, like a predator.

"So… that means…" The words died in Haruhi's throat. Try as she might, she could not speak another word, and she was trembling harder than ever. She buried her face in her hands. "I can't stand it, just get it over with," she whimpered.

There was silence. After a few moments, she felt a cool hand on her shoulder. Breathlessly she glanced up, finding that Mori was standing next to her, bending to look into her eyes. She felt her blood run cold, yet his eyes were still dark and gentle and she couldn't be frightened of them.

"I'll take you home," he said softly.

Haruhi was certain that she had not heard him correctly. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Mori blinked and she could almost see him trying to decide what the best way to rephrase his statement would be. "Back to your village," he said at last.

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"You're not happy here."

"But… aren't you supposed to kill me?" she asked at last.

Mori's eyebrows knitted together. "I suppose."

"So…" Haruhi tilted her head up to look at him. "Why aren't you? Not that I'm complaining, but…"

"I do not wish to."

"But… won't you be in trouble?"

"I'll be fine."

Mori wasn't really answering her questions, but he wasn't much of a talker, that was obvious. So Haruhi decided not to try to pull more answers from him. "So you'll take me home."

"If that is what you wish."

Haruhi couldn't speak, but Mori scooped her up bridal-style into his arms and swung the window open. Haruhi gasped upon realizing how high above the ground they were and she threw her arms around Mori's neck, but he didn't seem at all bothered. He leapt from the window, landing so easily that Haruhi barely felt the impact, and he was running across the grounds so fast that the landscape blew past. Haruhi buried her face in his chest, sheltering herself from the stinging wind.

In just a few moments, they were in the woods near Haruhi's village. Mori stopped, staying well within the shelter of the trees, and sat her gently on her feet. They were really only a few yards away from her meager house, and it was just a little too early for people to be in the fields.

Haruhi glanced up at the sky. It was lightening a bit, but the sun wasn't quite ready to come up yet. She wanted to throw her arms around Mori, but that seemed inappropriate. So she just looked up at him with her huge chocolate-brown eyes. "I don't know how to thank you," she whispered.

Mori bent forward and kissed her forehead. It was a gentle kiss, his lips barely brushing her skin, but she trembled under the contact all the same. "Take care of yourself," he murmured. And then he was gone, leaving Haruhi alone in the trees. A light breeze fluttered around her, making the skirt of her dress whip around her and she tried to ignore the ache in her chest.

Turning resolutely away from the lands of the Ouran clan, Haruhi hurried down the path to her small cottage. The place was untouched, only a small coating of dust to show that she had ever been gone. She removed the elegant clothes she had worn that evening, gently packing them away in the bottom of a small trunk, and replacing them with her plain everyday clothes. She tied her hair back with a ribbon and went out to the village.

When she arrived in the village, several young men accosted her, demanding to know where she had been for the last three days. She didn't feel like explain the whole 'being kidnapped by vampires' thing, so she simply said she had gone out of town to care for a sick aunt who was recovering nicely. The rest of the morning was spent dodging more marriage proposals and working in the fields as she had always done.

But something had changed. It was subtle, but it was there. Haruhi toiled all morning while trying to puzzle over the little enigma, and finally she had the answer. She finally had the courage to leave the village like she had always wanted to do. She had survived the vampire castle and met people who were so very different from the simple villagers she had always known. It was time to move on. So during her lunch break, she hurried to her parents' graves to tell them of her decision, then headed to her cottage. She packed up her clothes and her books and everything else she could carry, locked the door to her rundown home, and started walking. When she met villagers, she simply said that she'd received a message that her aunt had taken a turn for the worst, and she was moving to care for her long-term.

It was dangerous for a young woman to travel alone, but Haruhi was lucky enough not to encounter any dangers during the hours she spent walking. Unfortunately, she had not really considered where to stay at night. Passing a farmhouse, she went to plead for lodgings, but she had no way to pay and was turned away. This was repeated at three other farmhouses. The sky was rapidly darkening, and Haruhi felt her stomach sink, remembering the last time she had been without shelter at night.

The last rays of the sun vanished, and Haruhi pulled out a lantern, but didn't light it just yet. The moon was just beginning to peek out and she felt a light breeze tickle the back of her neck. Goosebumps dotted her skin, and she hurried along, desperate to find some sort of shelter.

The wind whistled louder than ever, and suddenly a fog began to roll in.

"Not again…" Haruhi whispered. She tried to move her feet faster, but her legs felt as though they were made of lead. And then she saw the three figures standing on the path ahead.

"I'd recognize that scent anywhere… I never expected you would emerge alive from the castle of Ouran…" a low sultry voice purred, and the three figures moved into a beam of moonlight.

A whine tore itself from Haruhi's throat as she recognized the three women in the blood-red gowns. She had barely escaped with her life last time… Tonight, she would surely not be so lucky.

A/N: YES! Fear the short chapter with the cliffhanger! Bwahahahaha! This is short partially because this is about where I wanted it to end when I started the chapter, and partly because I'm really tired right now… I've been working on Blow Me One Last Kiss and my brain feels like a wrung-out sponge, but I can't get this fic out of my head and I could get no peace without actually finishing this chapter off. Since this is a cliffhanger, I'll do my best to have the next chapter posted within the next few days.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Wow... I have been writing soooo much the last couple months... I'm not used to having so many documents in my Doc Manager... It takes forever to scroll through the darn thing...

Anyways, I had planned to upload this yesterday, but I was seriously not in a writing mood, so that didn't work out... but here it is now! Once again, I want to thank everyone for the continued support and I hope everyone continues to enjoy the fanfic! Reviews encourage me to update faster!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Host Club

Chapter 7

Haruhi started backing away from the Lobelia vampires, but Beni swooped over, catching the startled girl around the waist.

"I was so furious when you escaped from my clutches last time… But we're nowhere near Ouran's borders, so no one will be coming to your rescue tonight, my beautiful flower," she whispered, pressing her finger gently against Haruhi's racing pulse.

Haruhi took a deep breath, then swung the bag carrying her books as hard as she could, catching the beautiful vampire off guard and knocking her to the ground. Then Haruhi took off running into the woods.

Slightly dazed, Beni snarled as she sat up, her eyes blazing red. "Chizuru, Hinako, what are you waiting for? Catch that damnable girl at once! I will taste her blood tonight!"

"Yes Mistress Beni!" the other two girls exclaimed, and they swooped into the woods after the fleeing human. As soon as Beni was on her feet, she was following them.

Haruhi was gasping for breath as she stumbled through the undergrowth of the woods. Beni was right, she was so far away from Ouran… and even if she did get there, it seemed just as likely that she would be killed now that she had refused to become Mori's human servant. Hearing noises behind her, she started screaming for help. It was extremely unlikely that anyone would come to her rescue, but she was going to try anyways.

Haruhi never knew how, but she was able to successfully dodge the vampires or beat them off with her bag of books for a few minutes, but finally she tripped over a hidden root. Beni took advantage of that and sprang forward, pinning the girl to the ground.

"I will not wait any longer!" Beni snarled, her eyes glowing bright red. Her fangs glimmered angrily in the moonlight, but Haruhi could do nothing. Her arms were pinned over her head and her legs were pinned beneath Beni's. Haruhi screamed again, but Beni ignored her, wrenching the girl's head to one side to expose the milky white throat.

And then Beni was hit hard, sending both her and Haruhi rolling across the ground. Haruhi took advantage of the confusion to kick the female vampire away and scrabble backwards. She was absolutely stunned to see Mori standing there. His dark eyes were not quite red, but they were certainly blazing with fury.

"Keep your hands off of her," he hissed.

"Or what?" Beni snarled, already on her feet. "You think you can stop me?"

"I know I can."

"Chizuru! Hinako!" Beni screamed. The other two vampires appeared, and the trio surrounded Mori. "We'll deal with you first, then take our time draining the girl."

Mori didn't say a word, just waited for the girls to attack. He didn't have to wait long. Hinako was behind him, so she went for his back. Mori seemed to know she was there though, and he grabbed her in midair, throwing her right into the charging Chizuru and sending both girls flying into a tree. Beni uttered a screech of rage and she flew at Mori, her fingernails extending into sharp claws. Her claws dug into Mori's neck, but he pried her off with some effort.

Chizuru and Hinako were on their feet again. Hinako went for Mori's legs, knocking him off balance. Chizuru took advantage of that to dig into Mori's side with her own claws. Mori hit her with his elbow and kicked off Hinako while tossing Beni to one side. All three girls were starting to look a bit battered, but Mori was definitely taking the worst beating.

At a signal from Beni, Chizuru and Hinako swooped forward, sinking their fangs into Mori's shoulders and trying to pin his arms. As he struggled to fight them off, Beni attacked his defenseless abdomen, ripping into it with claws and fangs. Mori grunted in pain and tried to kick her away, but he couldn't get enough leverage. Realizing that Mori was completely overwhelmed, Haruhi ran forward, striking Beni over the head with her bag of books as many times as she could manage it. Dazed, Beni was forced to stagger away from Mori, clutching her head and hissing with rage. She turned on Haruhi with a snarl, bloodlust flaring up in her eyes. Haruhi backed away from the enraged vampire.

Somehow Mori managed to knock the heads of his two attackers together and he was free once again. Seeing Haruhi being backed into a corner by Beni, he managed a low growl and dove at Beni, knocking her to the ground. Claws appeared on his hand and he dug them hard into Beni's back, lifting her up and flinging her into a tree. Then he grabbed her by the throat and hurled her as far away as he could. Beni fell limply to the ground, clearly knocked out and badly hurt. Chizuru and Hinako shrieked with rage at a raggedly-breathing Mori, but they didn't attack him. Instead they swooped to their mistress's side, lifting her up between them and vanishing into the darkness.

Haruhi sank against a tree, her shaking legs unable to support her. Mori was clutching one arm, pierced by claws during the last attack. His shoulders, side, and abdomen were all ripped open, oozing a tarry black substance that strongly resembled blood. He turned to face Haruhi.

"Are you okay?" he hissed, his voice low but shockingly steady.

"I'm fine. Thank you. How did you…?" she gasped.

Mori just shook his head. Then he sank to his knees. Haruhi finally found her feet and hurried to his side. She could see his wounds beginning to heal along the edges, but it was slow and he seemed to be in so much pain…

"What can I do for you?" she whispered, kneeling next to him.

Mori shook his head. "Nothing."

"Don't try to tell me you'll be fine, because I can see you won't be! I'm pretty sure those wounds should be healing a lot faster!" Haruhi exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me," Mori hissed. "Just go. You're safe for tonight." He had practically collapsed onto the ground by now.

"What about you though? You're hurt so badly!" Haruhi murmured. She placed his head in her lap and ran her fingers through his spiky dark hair.

Mori just shook his head. "Go. Escape."

Haruhi stared directly into his eyes. "Be honest with me, Mori, please… Are you going to die if I don't do anything?"

Mori didn't answer and his eyes flicked away from hers. It was enough of an answer for her though.

"What do I have to do? What do you need?"

"Nothing you can give."

"That isn't an answer! Damnit, Takashi!" she exclaimed. "You just risked your life to save me; I'm not going to let you die if there's something I can do to help!" Tears were forming in her eyes as she gazed helplessly down at him.

Mori blinked, met her eyes for a moment, then looked away again. "Blood."

"What?" Haruhi asked, blinking away her tears.

"I have not fed tonight. I need blood."

"Then take some of mine!"

"I can't."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"It will bind us."

"So what?"

"You don't want that," he reminded her.

Haruhi exhaled slowly, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. "Takashi… I can't just let you die… You saved my life."

"I wanted to…" he murmured.

Haruhi gently caressed his cheek. He was so selfless. Why she deserved this devotion from this quiet vampire, she simply didn't understand. But she knew that she wasn't going to let him die here in the middle of the forest because of her.

"Listen to me…" she whispered. "The only thing I want right now is to save your life. We'll work the rest of it out later. You're the only vampire I would ever do this for. Now please…" She rolled up the sleeve of her dress, exposing the bluish veins of her wrist. "Please…" she begged, so softly he barely heard her.

Their eyes locked for a long tense moment. Finally Mori's lips parted, revealing his fangs. Haruhi waited patiently, knowing that if she flinched or showed any hesitation, he would refuse her offer and he would die. She held as still as a statue and finally his fangs pierced her skin. A single scarlet drop of blood appeared for just a moment before his mouth closed over her wrist.

The feeling was unlike anything Haruhi had ever experienced in her life. After the initial pain, she was overwhelmed by a sensation she couldn't name, but she wanted more of it. Her breath caught, then tore itself from her throat in a harsh gasp. A warm feeling was developing low in her stomach and the fingers she had left tangled in his hair clenched involuntarily.

She could not have said how much time passed before Mori released her, but suddenly she became aware that he was cupping her wrist in his hand and his head had settled back into her lap. His breathing was steady and she could see his wounds healing much faster than they had been before.

"You okay?" he asked, eyes soft with concern as he looked at her.

"Yeah… I guess I didn't really stop to think about how it might feel," Haruhi admitted with a smile. "I… kind of liked it though…" she added, her cheeks reddening just a bit.

One corner of Mori's mouth twitched up a little, then his eyes slid closed. Haruhi relaxed and ran her fingers through his hair some more, letting her other hand rest in Mori's. They remained like that for quite some time while Mori healed.

Finally, only a few hours before sunrise, Mori sat up. His shirt was in tatters and stained with the dark-colored substance that had oozed from his wounds. He was as steady as ever, but somehow looked very tired to Haruhi. His hand still cradled the wrist he had bitten, and his fingers curled around it, gently rubbing the skin.

"I'm fine," Haruhi told him gently to cut off the concerned question she knew was brewing in his brain. "And you look much better."

Mori just nodded. Haruhi leaned closer to him.

"Thank you. I don't know how you knew I needed help, but thank you for being here for me," she told him. He didn't respond verbally, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close to him. She let him do so and settled herself against him.

'I could get used to this…' she thought.

She felt Mori go still against her and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Mitsukuni is worried. We need to go," Mori said quietly.

"Okay," Haruhi murmured. He let go of her and she stood up, grabbing her few bags. Mori scooped her up in his arms and soon they were practically flying across the landscape in the direction of the castle belonging to the Ouran clan.

A/N: I know, I know, it's another short chapter! But I still have quite a bit I want to cover and I think that will make a great final chapter. Yes, that means the next chapter will be the last one. And that means I need to get started on that Kyouya/Kaoru-centered companion piece! Whee! I'm such a child…

Um, since I have to finish this fic AND write the first chapter of the companion because I'm going to post them at the same time, I'm going to guess that I'll update on Saturday. Might be Sunday if progress is slow, but I'm going to try for Saturday!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A/N: Just an FYI, this chapter and the first chapter of Healing Bloody Wounds were written while listening to copious amounts of country music… It helped me focus, considering I was dying to get some sleep, but I also wanted to write…

I know this chapter was posted a bit later then I promised, but real life decided to kick my ass these last few days… Most notably my grandpa had a heart attack (he's doing okay now though, thank god!) and my friend's car was broken into literally right outside my house… It has been a fucked-up few days, and that's why it took me so long to post, and also why I was writing despite needing sleep and listening to country music to stay coherent.

But chapter one of Healing Bloody Wounds will be posted literally right after I post this chapter, so if you've enjoyed this ride and want to see more from this universe, head over to my companion piece!

Again, thank you everyone for the support and kind reviews! It's so gratifying to see so many people enjoying my fanfic efforts! I hope to see most of you reading Healing Bloody Wounds and hopefully enjoying it just as much! Enjoy the final chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Host Club, but I do own my awesome vampire universe!

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Mori reached the castle of the Ouran clan in record-breaking time and was able to leap and climb his way up through a high window, which turned out to be his bedroom once again. He sat Haruhi gently on her feet and then started moving towards the door. Then he paused and turned back to her.

"Wait here. I'll send a maid with clothes."

Haruhi just nodded. Mori's eyes rested on her for a moment, then turned and left the room. Haruhi hesitated in the middle of the room. Should she simply sit and wait? Or should she... start making herself at home? In the end, she decided to just wait.

Only a few minutes passed before a maid appeared with a small bundle of clothes. "Madam, would you like help dressing?" she inquired politely.

"No, thank you," Haruhi said, approaching her and taking the clothes. She was surprised to see that she didn't really need help dressing because this was certainly not a dress. Instead she was holding a pair of black pants with blue stitching, and a blue shirt with black stitching. She removed her dress (another one ruined by a night of running in the woods!) and put on the new clothes, and was delighted to find that they were expertly tailored and fit her like a glove. She slipped on the black shoes that had accompanied the clothes, and opted to let her hair hang loose after brushing it out, then she followed the maid to the room where the inner circle gathered.

Mori was shirtless, the torn and stained shirt lying crumpled on the floor. He was sitting in a chair, his expression as blank as ever, as Honey and Kyouya hovered over him, examining the areas where he had been wounded. Now that the stains were being washed away, his skin was nearly flawless, the wounds faded almost to nothingness. And Haruhi couldn't help but freeze, unable to move or even breathe as she took in the sight of Mori.

"What were you thinking?" Honey was practically shouting at his cousin. "You could have died! How are you even alive right now?"

Mori, as usual, said nothing. His eyes flicked towards the door, seeing Haruhi standing there, utterly breathless at the sight of him. "Mitsukuni..." he began.

"No, listen to me for a minute!" the tiny blonde shouted. "I'm older than you and I'm the clan leader and you need to shut up for a second and listen to me."

Haruhi just blinked, wondering if Honey was even aware of the irony of that statement. Then it hit her that Honey had said he was older than Mori and she felt like her world had been turned upside-down. Everything she thought she knew was a lie!

"Lord Honey," Kyouya finally interrupted, "we have a visitor."

Honey finally stopped his rant and turned to the door. And his jaw actually dropped when he saw Haruhi. He stared at her, then at Mori, then back at Haruhi again. "You brought her back?!" Honey finally managed to ask. Mori just nodded. Honey looked stunned. "But... how...?!"

Mori locked eyes with Haruhi again, and she instinctively moved across the room to approach the three vampires. She barely noticed that Tamaki was sitting with the twins on a couch nearby and that they were staring in open-mouthed shock at her. She came to a stop just a few steps away from Mori, and when he held out his hand, she put out the arm that he had bitten earlier. Kyouya and Honey both stared. Kyouya pushed his glasses further up onto his nose.

"Well... I must admit that I didn't expect this outcome," he admitted.

Honey just stared at the clean bite mark on Haruhi's wrist. "You... She... I..." He couldn't even finish his thought, he was so surprised. Then he tilted his head up to look at Haruhi, seeming to scrutinize her closely before shaking his head in disbelief. "I never would have thought... But she was clearly willing, so..." He shrugged helplessly. "Make it official later, I suppose." He moved a few steps away to sit on his throne. "Tell everyone that there will be no event tonight. And have someone bring me some cake," he added.

Kyouya straightened up. "You'll be just fine, Lord Mori. And may I express my congratulations?"

Mori just nodded and shrugged into a new blue shirt and put a black jacket on over the shirt. He looked at Haruhi for a moment with something that was almost a smile on his face. He nodded to Haruhi, then moved back towards Honey's throne. Kyouya followed, and Tamaki jumped up from the couch to join the rest of the vampires, so Haruhi settled herself between the twins. Both got identical evil smiles and put their arms around her, leaning close so that their mouths were right next to her ears.

"So, Miss Haruhi... Just how did you charm your way back into Lord Mori's good graces?" they asked.

"I wasn't aware that I was out of them," Haruhi admitted. "He was fine when he left me at my house. Next time I saw him..." She shivered, still unnerved by her encounter with the Lobelia vampires.

The twins looked skeptical. "He was miserable all day," Hikaru told her.

"Yeah, he wasn't himself at all," Kaoru added. "He barely slept and he spent all day working out. Then just when he was getting ready to have his first blood of the evening, he got all weird and he went off somewhere..."

"And next thing we know, Lord Honey is freaking out and then Lord Mori shows up all torn up and looking like a pack of wolves had a go at him," Hikaru finished.

"So what the hell happened?" Kaoru demanded.

Haruhi quickly explained how Mori had left her at her home, then she had decided to abandon the village and seek her fortune elsewhere. Then she explained how she had been attacked by the same Lobelia vampires that had driven her into Ouran territory before, and how Mori had suddenly appeared to rescue her. Finally she explained how he had nearly died and she had given him blood because she simply couldn't let him die after all he'd done to save her life.

The twins were uncharacteristically silent for a few moments after she was done speaking. Finally Hikaru couldn't help but speak up. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Haruhi sighed. "I'm sure it was tremendously foolish... but I don't think I'll regret it. I can't believe how much I missed it here..." And Mori looked better and better every time she looked at him, but she wasn't going to tell the twins.

"Well I think it's noble," Kaoru said. "You wouldn't have done what you did if you didn't have some feelings for Mori already."

"You're just saying that because of you and that damn Shadow King," Hikaru snapped.

"Oh give it a rest, everyone knows that you actually care about Prince Tamaki," Kaoru told him smugly. As Hikaru spluttered indignantly, Kaoru ignored his twin and focused his gentle amber eyes of Haruhi. "You should know though, at some point Mori is going to have to mark your neck, like this." He tugged a bit at his vest to reveal the red mark above his collarbone. "It's kind of weird, but necks mean you belong to someone, while just the wrist is... well... it means you can be shared."

Haruhi flinched, automatically grabbing her wrist. Hikaru laughed. "Don't worry, Mori won't hesitate to thrash anyone who even thinks of looking at you the wrong way. He's already proved that, and you weren't even his then."

Haruhi couldn't help but smile and she leaned back against the couch to continue bantering with the twins. Every now and then she caught one of the vampires glancing in their direction. Honey had gotten over his initial shock and just looked pleased. Tamaki was beaming. Kyouya was coolly stoic, his glasses hiding most of his expression. And Mori's face was as blank as ever, though Haruhi could have sworn she caught him smiling at least once.

Later, as daylight approached, the twins grabbed Haruhi's elbows and began dragging her out of the room. "Where are we going?" she demanded, dragging her heels deliberately.

"You'll see," they practically sang. Soon they were all back in Mori's room. Evidently the maids had been rather busy while she was gone, for the wardrobe was standing open and now contained clothes for Haruhi as well. The twins marched straight up to it and began rummaging around. Soon they pulled out a dress and held it out to Haruhi.

She could only stare in surprise. The dress was slightly off-white, long and flowing, made of an attractive silky material. "What on earth is that?"

"Not a public dress, that's for sure!" Hikaru said, looking delighted.

Haruhi went bright red, but she stepped behind an ornate screen in the corner of the room to change. Removing the beautifully tailored shirt and pants, she made a mental note to wear these more often. Then she slipped on the white dress. It had a very low cut neck, and straps that slid down her shoulders. The dress barely clung to her slender frame. There was a slit on one side of the dress that went all the way up to her hip. She looked at herself in the small mirror that a maid had thoughtfully left there for her and shook her head.

"There is no way I'm showing this off to you guys!" she exclaimed, still bright red with embarrassment.

"Aww, come on Haruhi!" Kaoru exclaimed. "We want to see!"

"Yeah, I bet you're stunning!" Hikaru added.

"I'm really not comfortable…" Haruhi began.

"Ugh, fine!" Hikaru snorted, tossing something over the screen. It was a shawl made of a similar off-white silky material, and Haruhi slipped it over her shoulders. It wasn't much, but at least she didn't feel quite so naked. Finally she stepped out from behind the screen.

"Wow…" Kaoru said. Hikaru couldn't even speak as he stared at her.

Haruhi's short brown curls tumbled gently down to her shoulders and her soft brown eyes were modestly downcast. She'd been licking her lips out of nerves, so they were shiny and slightly more pink than usual. Although she held the shawl in place, it was easy to see just how well the dress clung to her, and her bare feet were nearly hidden beneath the flowing skirt.

"You look amazing…" Kaoru said at last. "Mori's going to love you."

"Yeah, you look good enough to eat," Hikaru teased.

Haruhi stuck her tongue out at him. "Thanks for that."

"We'll leave you alone then," Kaoru said. "Make sure you close the curtains!" And with that, he and his twin left, both still looking a bit shell-shocked.

Once they were gone, Haruhi moved to the window, and for several moments, she just stared down at the castle grounds. They were completely deserted at the moment. The moon was low, still bathing the landscape in its gentle silver light. The window was still open from when she and Mori had returned earlier, and a cool breeze whipped around her, blowing back her brown curls and the glimmering white dress. She reached out to grab the window to draw it closed, but something made her pause and turn around.

Mori was standing in the doorway, dark eyes glued to her. Haruhi could only imagine what he was seeing when he looked at her, but he seemed to like what he saw. He stepped towards her, removing his jacket and hanging it over the back of a chair. Then he stepped up to her and reached around her to pull the window closed. They were so close, bodies nearly pressed together, but Haruhi wasn't afraid like she thought she would have been in the presence of a vampire. Mori didn't frighten her, not at all.

The window now closed, Mori pulled on a string holding back the thick curtains, and they fell to cover the window completely, brushing against Haruhi's back as they did so. Then Mori's hand fell, landing lightly on her bare shoulder and she shivered at the contact, instinctively reaching up to put an arm around his waist.

"You look beautiful," Mori said finally, even though darkness had shrouded the room completely. There were no candles lit, and Haruhi could barely see Mori in the darkness, but he probably had better night vision than she did.

"I feel kind of silly…" she admitted. "But the twins begged me to wear it."

Mori made a soft noise that might have been a chuckle. "They have good taste." And with that, he picked her up bridal-style and laid her on the bed. Before tonight, she would have been terrified seeing a vampire looming over her like this, but Haruhi's heart was beating with excitement rather than fear.

Mori touched her face lightly, then his fingers ghosted down her neck, pausing for only the smallest instant against her racing pulse. Then his hand moved down her side, coming to rest on her waist. His thumb hooked under the slit of her dress, coming to rest on her bare hip, but the rest of his hand remained on her silky dress.

Haruhi's breath caught in her throat. Mori slipped off his shirt and returned his hand to her hip, and she reached up to grip his bare shoulder, her eyes drinking in the sight of his chest and abs. Mori shifted his weight back so that he could keep one hand on her hip and move the other to her neck, gently tracing the arteries and veins. Haruhi whined softly, tilting her head back to expose her pale throat further.

She had no way of knowing how dangerous that was. Among vampires, it was not uncommon for them to be driven into a frenzy having a willing victim. But luckily for her, Mori had self-control to spare. And when he bit into her neck, it was with the same tenderness with which he had taken blood from her wrist in the woods much earlier that evening.

The bite to the neck was unlike anything Haruhi had ever experienced in her life. Another high-pitched whine tore itself from her throat, and she felt her body rise up of its own accord to press against Mori's. He held her down gently, keeping her from moving more than necessary. His hips pressed against hers, and she tried to increase the contact, almost desperately.

Haruhi couldn't have said how long it was before Mori licked her wound one last time and lifted his head to look at her. Both were nearly breathless, and Haruhi was surprised to notice that she wasn't the least bit nauseated at the very faint red coloring on Mori's fangs. Instead she reached up, pulling his head down to hers and kissing him.

Mori returned the kiss, and the hand that rested on her hip moved tantalizingly against her bare skin. She had never before this moment considered giving up her virginity, but suddenly she wanted nothing more. Haruhi's hands traced Mori's bare chest, moving down his sides and hovering just at the waistline of his pants. The hand that had been on her shoulder covered one of her hands and he kissed her again, and Haruhi hoped that the euphoric feelings would never go away.

Hours later, Haruhi woke up to find herself in Mori's arms. After the previous night's activities, he had slipped on a loose pair of pants, and that was all he wore at the moment, so she was nestled against his bare chest. The silky white dress was damp with sweat and the slit on the side had been torn, but it wasn't too bad, it could be easily mended.

Haruhi considered getting up and maybe going to find the twins, but she found she didn't really want to. For one thing, she didn't know what Mori's sleep schedule was like, and she figured she should be here when he woke up so he could take some of her blood. But… she also didn't want to leave. It was so strange, this proximity to another person. Haruhi had never been particularly close with anyone but her parents, and she'd been quite alone since they'd died. But here in this castle…

There were the twins, and Haruhi found that she simply adored them and wanted to spend more time just talking and laughing with them. There was Tamaki with his exuberance and childlike enthusiasm… somewhat overbearing, but tolerable, and Haruhi found she didn't mind his attentions as much as she would have thought. There was Kyouya, so quiet and imposing, but with a softer side that she had caught glimpses of and wanted to get to know better. And there was Lord Honey, so sweet and child-like despite being in charge of this clan… Haruhi thought they could get along very well once the young lord had adjusted to her stealing away so much of his cousin's attention.

And then there was Mori… sleeping so peacefully next to her… He who had risked his life to save her, who had cared for her when no one else seemed to, who accepted her for who she was… who she trusted to drink her blood as well as to handle her body. It was more than she had ever trusted another person before, and she felt completely and utterly safe in his presence. They might not talk much, but they could understand each other without saying a word. There could be many afternoons and evenings of sitting and reading or otherwise enjoying each other's company.

No, it wasn't the life Haruhi had envisioned for herself. She had never imagined herself living in a vampire castle for the rest of her life, but… there were worse fates for a young woman. The inner circle of Clan Ouran had welcomed this misfit girl with open arms for reasons she simply couldn't figure out, but they had done it. And as she settled herself more comfortably into Mori's arms, there was simply no place in the world that Haruhi felt would suit her so well.

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A/N: So that's the end of that! I hope everyone enjoyed this fic, I had an awful lot of fun writing it! It went pretty quickly… I'm surprised… Of course, now I have to get my butt in gear and work on the companion piece, but I think I'm going to enjoy writing it just as much (if not more, it's KyoKao after all…) as I enjoyed this one!


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